- Issuer
- First Trust
- Inception Date
- Nov 7, 2023
- Leveraged
- 1x (No leverage)
- Index Tracked
- No Index (Active)
- Distribution Policy
- Distributing
- Asset Class
- Bond
- Assets Under Management
- $3B
Highlights
- Avg. Volume (1M)
- 848K
- Avg. Volume Value (1M)
- $17.52M
Share Price Chart
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Performance
FTCB Performance Chart
First Trust Core Investment Grade ETF (FTCB) is down 0.6% since the beginning of the year. FTCB is currently trading at $21 per share.
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Returns By Period
First Trust Core Investment Grade ETF (FTCB) has returned -0.60% so far this year and 2.58% over the past 12 months.
First Trust Core Investment Grade ETF
- 1D
- -0.34%
- 1M
- -1.25%
- 6M
- -0.79%
- YTD
- -0.60%
- 1Y
- 2.58%
- 3Y*
- —
- 5Y*
- —
- 10Y*
- —
- ALL TIME*
- 5.76%
Benchmark (S&P 500 Index)
- 1D
- 0.70%
- 1M
- 0.09%
- 6M
- 7.94%
- YTD
- 9.41%
- 1Y
- 20.07%
- 3Y*
- 17.84%
- 5Y*
- 11.25%
- 10Y*
- 13.26%
- ALL TIME*
- 8.09%
FTCB Monthly Returns History
Based on dividend-adjusted daily data since Nov 8, 2023, FTCB's average daily return is +0.02%, while the average monthly return is +0.47%. At this rate, an investment would double in approximately 12.3 years.
Historically, 70% of months were positive and 30% were negative. The best month was Dec 2023 with a return of +3.8%, while the worst month was Oct 2024 at -2.9%. The longest winning streak lasted 5 consecutive months, and the longest losing streak was 2 months.
On a daily basis, FTCB closed higher 51% of trading days. The best single day was Apr 24, 2025 with a return of +1.4%, while the worst single day was Apr 10, 2024 at -1.3%.
| Jan | Feb | Mar | Apr | May | Jun | Jul | Aug | Sep | Oct | Nov | Dec | Total | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2026 | 0.19% | 1.73% | -1.89% | 0.14% | 0.32% | 0.27% | -1.32% | -0.60% | |||||
| 2025 | 0.58% | 2.18% | 0.10% | 0.55% | -0.88% | 1.76% | -0.31% | 1.36% | 1.25% | 0.81% | 0.56% | -0.10% | 8.12% |
| 2024 | 0.00% | -1.22% | 0.98% | -2.62% | 1.75% | 1.10% | 2.59% | 1.56% | 1.71% | -2.94% | 1.27% | -1.45% | 2.57% |
| 2023 | 1.84% | 3.78% | 5.69% |
Benchmark Metrics
First Trust Core Investment Grade ETF has an annualized alpha of 4.87%, beta of 0.05, and R2 of 0.02 versus S&P 500 Index. Calculated based on daily prices since November 08, 2023.
- This ETF participated in 26.64% of S&P 500 Index downside but only 23.18% of its upside - more exposed to losses than it benefited from rallies.
- Beta of 0.05 may look defensive, but with R2 of 0.02 this ETF is largely uncorrelated with S&P 500 Index - low beta reflects independence, not downside protection. See the Volatility section for a true picture of this ETF's risk.
- R2 of 0.02 means this ETF moves largely independently of S&P 500 Index - capture ratios reflect limited market correlation rather than active downside protection. Consider using a more representative benchmark.
- Alpha
- 4.87%
- Beta
- 0.05
- R²
- 0.02
- Upside Capture
- 23.18%
- Downside Capture
- 26.64%
Expense Ratio
FTCB has an expense ratio of 0.55%, placing it in the medium range.
Return for Risk
Risk / Return Rank
FTCB ranks 32 for risk / return — above 32% of ETFs peers on PortfoliosLab. Its historical combined result is below the peer median.
Risk / Return Metrics
The table below present risk-adjusted performance metrics for First Trust Core Investment Grade ETF (FTCB) and compare them to S&P 500 Index.
Values are calculated on a 1-year rolling basis and updated daily. Risk-adjusted metrics are more stable over longer periods — use the period switch above to explore them.
| FTCB | Benchmark | Difference | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Sharpe ratioReturn per unit of total volatility | -0.60 | ||
| Sortino ratioReturn per unit of downside risk | -0.80 | ||
| Omega ratioGain probability vs. loss probability | 1.14 | 1.25 | -0.11 |
| Calmar ratioReturn relative to maximum drawdown | 1.09 | 2.00 | -0.91 |
| Martin ratioReturn relative to average drawdown | 2.83 | 8.49 | -5.66 |
Dividends
Dividend History
First Trust Core Investment Grade ETF provided a 5.45% dividend yield over the last twelve months, with an annual payout of $1.12 per share.
| Period | TTM | 2025 | 2024 | 2023 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Dividend | $1.12 | $1.06 | $1.07 | $0.08 |
Dividend yield | 5.45% | 4.99% | 5.19% | 0.35% |
Monthly Dividends
The table displays the monthly dividend distributions for First Trust Core Investment Grade ETF. The dividends shown in the table have been adjusted to account for any splits that may have occurred.
| Jan | Feb | Mar | Apr | May | Jun | Jul | Aug | Sep | Oct | Nov | Dec | Total | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2026 | $0.09 | $0.09 | $0.09 | $0.09 | $0.09 | $0.08 | $0.08 | $0.61 | |||||
| 2025 | $0.09 | $0.08 | $0.08 | $0.08 | $0.08 | $0.08 | $0.08 | $0.08 | $0.08 | $0.08 | $0.10 | $0.17 | $1.06 |
| 2024 | $0.08 | $0.08 | $0.08 | $0.08 | $0.08 | $0.08 | $0.11 | $0.11 | $0.11 | $0.11 | $0.11 | $0.09 | $1.07 |
| 2023 | $0.08 | $0.08 |
Drawdowns
Drawdowns Chart
The Drawdowns chart displays portfolio losses from any high point along the way. Drawdowns are calculated considering price movements and all distributions paid, if any.
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Worst Drawdowns
The table below displays the maximum drawdowns of the First Trust Core Investment Grade ETF. A maximum drawdown is a measure of risk, indicating the largest reduction in portfolio value due to a series of losing trades.
The maximum drawdown for the First Trust Core Investment Grade ETF was 4.99%, occurring on Jan 13, 2025. Recovery took 56 trading sessions.
The current First Trust Core Investment Grade ETF drawdown is 2.48%.
Drawdown | Fall | Recovery | Underwater | Related event |
|---|---|---|---|---|
-4.99%Jan 2025 | 3mo 28d | 2mo 20d | 6mo 18dSep 2024 - Apr 2025 | — |
-3.68%Apr 2024 | 2mo 14d | 1mo 29d | 4mo 13dFeb 2024 - Jun 2024 | — |
-3.04%May 2026 | 2mo 18d | — | 5mo 4dMar 2026 - now | — |
-2.88%Apr 2025 | 4d | 2mo 16d | 2mo 20dApr 2025 - Jun 2025 | 2025 selloff2025 |
-1.75%Jan 2024 | 27d | 8d | 1mo 5dDec 2023 - Feb 2024 | — |
Drawdown Indicators
| FTCB | Benchmark | Difference | |
|---|---|---|---|
Max DrawdownLargest peak-to-trough decline | -4.99% | -56.78% | +51.79% |
Max Drawdown (1Y)Largest decline over 1 year | -3.04% | -9.10% | +6.06% |
Max Drawdown (3Y)Largest decline over 3 years | — | -18.90% | — |
Max Drawdown (5Y)Largest decline over 5 years | — | -25.43% | — |
Max Drawdown (10Y)Largest decline over 10 years | — | -33.92% | — |
Current DrawdownCurrent decline from peak | -2.48% | -1.58% | -0.90% |
Average DrawdownAverage peak-to-trough decline | -1.28% | -10.70% | +9.42% |
Ulcer IndexDepth and duration of drawdowns from previous peaks | 1.17% | 2.14% | -0.97% |
Volatility
Volatility Chart
The chart below shows the rolling one-month volatility.
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